I was on mess cook duty in May 1972 in the CPO mess. Now, it wasn't so bad most of the time. During the day, I would clean the berthing areas and locker room, and fetch the laundry for the Chiefs.
But every few days, I had the evening "duty" which meant I had to sit around and do things like make coffee and maybe fix a sandwich if one of them wanted it. This wasn't hard work, but sometimes it was real boring.
One night, it WASN'T!
I had to sit around in the Chief's Mess and didn't have much to do, and the Chiefs were in the next room watching a movie.
I spied a cockroach go down into the little round metal trash can next to the serving window of the galley...I figured, "There must be a jillion of them in that trash can, with all the half eaten donuts and sugary coffee gets thrown in there!"
I made a plan...I gently picked up the trash can and placed it out in the middle of the room...Then I tapped it with my size eleven Molder boot....
The roaches BOILED up out of that trash can!
I was tap-dancing all around the floor, squashing the little buggers as fast as I could. This went on for quite a spell. I don't really recall just how long...There were guts and feathers all over the deck from hundreds of cockroaches....
Then I happened to look over at the door of the lounge where the chiefs were in watching the movie...it was open...just a crack...Two of the Chiefs were peering out at me, wondering WHAT THE HELL???
One told me to clean up the mess and wash the trash can...Sheepishly, I did...
But it sure was FUN!
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